


Love and All Things Fake

by everlovingdeer



Series: Harry Potter Short Stories [116]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Break Up, Emotional Constipation, Engagement, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Past Relationship(s), Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21585715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everlovingdeer/pseuds/everlovingdeer
Summary: “James – what are we doing here?”“Truthfully?” He sighed, meeting my eyes for a moment. “I have no idea. All I knew was that I couldn’t let you go on this date. Not with someone else.”
Relationships: James Sirius Potter/Original Female Character(s), James Sirius Potter/Reader
Series: Harry Potter Short Stories [116]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1461751
Comments: 1
Kudos: 153





	1. Love and All Things Fake

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted to other sites on 26/03/18 and it's been edited sightly before being posted onto here

Wasn’t it strange how people turned out once they left school? For instance, the picture on the front cover of one most popular gossip newspapers featured one of my old classmates with the headline ‘Playboy Potter’. In said picture, the Quidditch player was seen verbally tossing aside the latest ‘companion’ he’d had, because James Potter didn’t _do_ relationships – not anymore, anyway. He didn’t do serious, or commitment or love and Merlin, it was so bloody confusing because those were all he’d ever been after in school. The boy – man now, I suppose – had been a hopeless romantic at heart, one who was willing to go to any lengths to prove to someone how much he loved them. 

“Salazar,” I muttered under my breath, reaching out to grab the newspaper from the corner of my desk. Staring down at his face which had only just gotten more handsome in the years that I hadn’t seen him, I sighed. Folding the paper in half over his smirking face, I shoved it into my desk drawer. “What the hell happened to him?”

“Happened to who?” Eliza, my assistant, asked from the doorway. I looked up in surprise at her sudden appearance, wondering when she had gotten there. Adjusting her hold on the folder in her arms, she walked towards me and held it out for me to take. “Well?”

“No one,” I dismissed in a heartbeat, opening the folder to the first page and stared down at an invoice from the centrepiece arrangements for one of the weddings I was in the midst of arrangement. Frowning at the number which was _much_ higher than the agreed price, I looked up at Eliza who stood a little nervously at that side. “So, you’ve seen the price too, huh?”

“It’s outrageous!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in annoyance. “They can’t just change the price _after_ the couple paid the deposit.”

I struggled not to smile; seeing Eliza still getting worked up over things like this just reminded me of the way I’d been when I first started my business. “Eliza –”

“It _has_ to be _illegal!_ ” Feeling my amused eyes on her, she cleared her throat and straightened out her jacket. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologise – that passion is good. It’s what keeps us getting new customers.” Snapping the folder shut, I ordered, “Remind me to call the florist to tell them I’ll be popping in to have a word with them later today.”

Eliza grinned, “Give them hell.”

“And I will – Salazar, they have another thing coming if they think they can rip off my clients.” Setting the folder aside, I crossed my arms and asked, “Is there anything else?”

“Oh right.” She pointed towards the consultation room, “The Lupin-Wiley wedding arrived.”

“Early, as per usual,” I murmured with a smile, heading out to greet the couple. Picking up their wedding folder from the shelf, I tossed over my shoulder, “You can tell why they were Head Boy and Head Girl in their respective years.”

Eliza and I shared a smile before walking out to greet the couple who rose to their feet at the sight of us. Returning the smiles and the greetings the couple sent my way, I gestured for them to take a seat. 

“Please, sit down.” The couple settled down without another word and I flickered through the folder to show them the budget proposal they had asked me to come up with. Not even glancing towards Lupin, I handed the budget off to Wiley; we both knew she wore the pants in the relationship. That and Lupin was willing to do everything she wanted. The man had even told me that he didn’t care if he wore a _dress_ up the aisle, if that was what his fiancée wanted, then he was fine with it.

“Moran,” Lupin began cautiously, making me glance over towards him in surprise. 

“Is there a problem?”

“No problem,” he assured me with a smile. “We just bought one of the groomsmen with us; the best man, actually. He was lounging around, and his mum asked me to get him out of the house.”

“That’s no issue; the more the merrier.”

“I’m glad,” he said with a relieved smile, gesturing towards the man standing to face the wall that I’d had mounted with pictures from all the weddings I had helped organise. And Merlin, that man didn’t even need to face me for me to already know who he was; the straightening of my spine was enough. Even though I _really_ didn’t want him to, Lupin called out, “James!”

James, not noticing anything out of the ordinary, turned to the call of his name. His eyes went instantly to Lupin with a smile that slipped only slightly when is gaze settled onto me. The smile might not have shifted, but his eyes certainly widened in surprise and I could read what he was trying to say, without needing him to vocalise it. He was wondering how on earth I, of all people, had become a wedding planner. 

Eliza cleared her throat pointedly, breaking our prolonged eye contact. Licking my bottom lip, I turned my back to James and focused my attention on the waiting couple. 

“We can always go over the budget again,” I reassured them, pretending that I hadn’t noticed the look the couple shared. Merlin, they’d brought him on purpose, I _knew_ they had. But to what end? Whatever it was, I didn’t care. I rifled through the open folder that perched on my knees and pulled out a list of venues. “So, I called up all of the places you were interested in and they’d been kind enough to give me a provisional price. Of course, the price is subject to change depending on whether you want to add any additional things. We can decide that at a later date – when you’ve chosen which places you want to see in person.”

I cut myself off, realising that I was rambling. Clearing my throat, I struggled not to shrink under the stare which hadn’t left my back since I’d turned away from him. It was a small blessing that I’d decided to wear my hair down today, shielding my burning ears. 

“Teddy,” James called out towards his godbrother who glanced curiously towards him. “I’m just getting in the way, so I’ll just hang out in the waiting room.”

“Is that alright?” Teddy questioned, looking to me and I tried not to narrow my eyes at the former Hufflepuff. Salazar, he was devious. 

“Of course, it’s fine.” I addressed my answer towards Eliza who looked between James and me with curious eyes. “Eliza, maybe pop the kettle on? You remember how Mr Lupin and Miss Wiley like their tea, don’t you? As for James – Mr Potter, a lot of milk and –”

I cut myself off, short of recounting _exactly_ how he liked his tea.

“A lot of milk,” James carried on without pause, “the tea bag left in and as sweet as you can make it. Thank you.”

“I’ll get right on that,” Eliza said quietly, hurrying out of the room to lead James away. 

Salazar’s soul, just what spirits had I offended for them to send James Potter back into my life? Especially when that James Potter was nothing like the one I’d gone to school with. No, this James Potter was some sort of low-quality copy who didn’t seem to have even _half_ the heart the former Gryffindor’d had. 

* * *

What I’d hoped to keep as a onetime occurrence, unfortunately, continued to happen. Despite playing no part in the planning of the wedding, James continued to tag along with his godbrother and I’d struggled against the urge to ask whether his presence was necessary. Of course, I _hadn’t_ asked, but Teddy Lupin had always been one perceptive bastard and he pulled me aside to ask whether I had an issue with James coming along to the meeting. And because my motto was _whatever the client wants,_ I lied and assured him that I had no issue with James tagging along. Merlin, even if I _had_ told him that I had a problem, what excuse was I supposed to give him? It was just simpler to keep quiet.

Besides, according to Wiley, the Quidditch season had come to a close for the year so James had nothing to do. So naturally, I was praying for the Quidditch season to start up again. Once he was back practising his – whatever it was they did during their practices – he’d be out of my waiting room. Not long after James’ continual visits to my office, the newspapers had all posted articles, wondering whether the Playboy Potter had been tamed and was actually considering marriage. Only for James to do a publicised interview putting the rumours to bed by announcing that getting married was the last thing he saw himself doing. Salazar, how had he changed so much? The more time I spent around him, the less I saw of the boy I went to school with.

I’d grown so used to seeing James tagging along with the future Lupins, that I paid _almost_ no attention to him when he walked in this time. His tea was already waiting for him in the waiting room. But this time, he’d decided to join the couple in looking through the pamphlets from the caterers they’d expressed interest in during our last meeting. 

Leaving the couple to their discussions about which they wanted to arrange tastings with, I headed into my office, all too aware of the shadow I picked up along the way. James followed me step by step as I retreated into the sanctuary of my private office. Merlin, during our time at Hogwarts I had grown all too used to him watching me, more often from _much_ further than he was now. Back then it had been a schoolboy crush on his side, an infatuation that I could pinpoint the moment where it began and where it deepened. 

Like some sort of idiot, he had been walking towards the Slytherin common room – probably to see his brother, but he’d happened to approach the dungeon on April Fools. And really, for someone with prankster’s blood running through his veins, he should have thought that something was up. But he didn’t. Instead, he walked towards the common room with no idea that one of the seventh year Slytherins had set up a trap to hit anyone that approached the common room who wasn’t a Slytherin. I’d had the misfortune of being the only person around him then and reacted without thinking, disarming the prank before the green slime could fall on him. That was when the crush began.

From then one, the silent admiring had started and the Gryffindor, ironically, lacked the courage to approach me. It was only after I’d publicly defended him when one of the Slytherin Prefects had wrongfully accused him of something, that he decided that watching from afar wasn’t enough.

Salazar, back when we had been in school, his gaze while unwelcome at first, had always been warm. Even though I never looked back at him, I’d felt almost reassured by the steady weight of his eyes on me. But now, now it was different. Cold and the weight was burdensome, stifling even. Or was that the weight of my guilt?

This couldn’t go on for much longer.

Clearing my throat, I turned to face the door of my office where, sure enough, he stood in the open doorway. For once, since I had seen him again, he looked unsure and it was over such a small decision like whether or not he should walk into the room. The words, whatever I had been planning on saying to him, died before I could bring myself to say them. I couldn’t even bring myself to look him in the eyes. 

I barely held his eyes, for nothing more than a few milliseconds really, before I was turning my back to him again to find the folder for the couple that was supposed to be coming to see me in an hours’ time. James took a breath from beside me and I watched, spine stiff as I tried to listen out for whether or not he’d gather the courage to step into the room. 

Eliza called out for me suddenly, her voice carrying all the way from the consultation room. The sound was enough to shatter the tension that had filled the room and I tried to make my relief just a little bit less obvious. But it was too hard to do. Turning quickly towards the door again, I barely shot a glance at James whose eyebrows rose in surprise at the unexpected interruption. 

He remained in the doorway, refusing to move and I bit my lip hesitantly. Squeezing past his broad frame, I did my best not to touch him. He did not such thing. James reached out, a hand settled on my waist and it was enough to have me stilling. 

Raising my eyes hesitantly towards his, I warned quietly, “Don’t.”

He raised his hand slowly, reacting to the first word either of us had said to the other in years. Gathering my composure, I walked away from him without a single glance back. I needed to get my head screwed on straight; this was important. These were my clients and I wasn’t going to let anyone – not even James Sirius Potter – distract me from giving one of my clients the perfect day they deserved. 

* * *

For a short period, James stopped attending my meetings with the future Lupins and I tried my best to make sure that my happiness wasn’t too obvious. I thought I’d managed to do it quite well, but Lupin had taken me aside to ensure me that James would return to the meetings soon. He’d had to miss a few because he was in the midst of negotiating his contract for the coming year with the _teams_ that were interested in recruiting him. But, because Lupin was being sent out of the country for work for a little while, he’d entrusted James to make the decisions in his place with his only advice being that whatever his future wife wanted was law. 

I’d hoped to receive some sort of warning for when James would be returning to the appointments but unfortunately, I wasn’t given any. No, instead, I’d only found out when he turned up to the cake tasting instead of Lupin. Greeting him a little awkwardly, I hurried right past him and headed towards my bride to steer her over towards the table where the sample cakes were set out for her to taste. Pulling out the chair for her, I gestured for her to take a seat and silently ushered James over to join her.

Once they were seated, I smiled down at Wiley and couldn’t seem to bring my eyes to meet the ones that were watching me as if waiting for me to make some comment about his absence. Like hell would I say something. 

“So, this is the fun part,” I said with a grin, gesturing to the table. “You get to try all the different types of cake which, as you can see, is _a lot._ And once you’ve come to a decision we can bring the head baker in to talk designs.”

“Thanks,” Wiley said with a grin, picking up her fork and pulling the first cake slice towards her. “I’ve been waiting for an excuse to break my diet.”

“Just call me over when you’re finished,” I said with a smile, before turning on my heel to join Eliza by a tray of cupcakes that had been made for the office.

We were supposed to be taking the cupcakes back as a way of satisfying the craving for sugar we sometimes got when working the long days. But, as I made my way towards my assistant, I found her halfway through her second cupcake. She looked up guiltily, licking the icing from the corner of her mouth.

With a reassuring grin, I snagged one of the fudge frosted cupcakes from the tray. “Let’s just order another tray and finish this one here?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Eliza said with a delighted bite into another cupcake. I quickly did the same. Salazar, I _loved_ coming to the cake tasting. “Oh – I’ll leave you alone.”

“Wait,” I called out towards Eliza, who was already walking away from me and heading into the kitchen. “Where are you going?”

“Moran,” James called out from behind me and I struggled not to let out an annoyed sigh. Turning towards the sound of his voice, my eyebrows rose slightly when I found him hovering awkwardly with his hands tucked into his pockets. 

“The bride –”

“Teddy said to pick whatever she wants,” he cut in as I continued to watch him uncertainly. “My input’s kind of unnecessary – besides, with quidditch season coming up, it’s probably not best for me to be eating so much cake.”

“Right,” I muttered quietly, taking another bite of the cupcake.

“You never used to have such a sweet tooth,” he blurted out suddenly and my eyes widened at the unexpected words. It wasn’t like they were a lie either.

“Things change,” I defended. “A lot has changed over the past four years.”

“I can see that.” He crossed his arms over his chest, levelling me a firm look. “How did _you_ , of all people, end up running a wedding planning business.”

“I guess I found my calling.” Narrowing my eyes at him, I shot back, “I’m not the only person that changed.”

“How?” he demanded, raising an eyebrow and I tried not to scoff.

“Would you like me to repeat the latest headlines back to you? The Playboy Potter? James 3-women-in-one-week Potter?” With a sigh, I silently prayed for the strength to calm down before lashing out at him. Salazar, this was the first conversation we’d had in years and yet, it spiralled into an argument. I wasn’t even surprised. “Would you like me to list some more?”

“Whatever,” he grumbled, shuffling his feet.

“I thought not.” I went to walk past him, to accompany my bride only to hesitate when he raised his arm towards me.

Turning to face James, I raised an eyebrow when his hand paused, outstretched as if to touch my face. I held my breath for a long moment where he seemed unable to look away from my eyes and Salazar knew I wasn’t going to cower this time. Eventually, he dropped his hand again with a sigh.

Leaning around me to snag a napkin from the table, he held it out to me. When I hesitated to take it, he leaned in towards me to shove it into my jacket pocket. “After all these years, you still eat like a pig.”

My mouth dropped open in outrage and I shot him a glare which he didn’t comment on. Brushing past me without another word, James returned to his seat beside the bride. I watched him for a moment, trying not to call out a retort to his back.

“Eat like a pig,” I grumbled to myself only to pause. No way –

Turning back towards the table, I peered down into an empty tray and stared at my reflection. Sure enough, there was fudge icing at the corner of my mouth. Wiping the icing away with the napkin he’d tucked into my pocket, I scrunched it up and threw it in the bin. Once this wedding was over, that was it; there would be no reason to see James Potter again. And Merlin, I was counting down the days. 

* * *

The aim of my job was to give couples the stress-free wedding day that they all wanted. And how did I do that? By experiencing all the stress in their stead. I was the person that tended to all of their needs, that fixed whatever mistakes they experienced and the one that chased up all the parts of the wedding. All the couples needed to do was turn up on time and recite their vows. The rest was up to me. And I willingly did it all. 

Even if there were multiple weddings to arrange at once. And if everything that _could_ go wrong, _was_ going wrong. And the stress continued to pile up on top of each other. And – 

“Tea?” Eliza asked, popping her head into my office, making me look up from the paper that I’d been busy stressing over.

“Please,” I said with a grateful smile. 

Rising to my feet, I walked over to the shelves where I kept the folders for each couple. Snagging the Taylor – Smith wedding folder, I opened it and started to pace as I read over what the couple wanted. It wasn’t odd to have an indecisive bride when it came to making the big decisions about the wedding. But, in those circumstances, it was a good thing to have a groom who was able to calm the bride. 

Yet in terms of the Taylor – Smith wedding, I just wasn’t sure _why_ the couple was getting married in the first place. From what they had told me, they’d known each other just over a year and had only been dating about 2 months before getting engaged. We had been planning this wedding together for almost 6 months now and they _continued_ to change venues, to change caterers, to change florists. And Salazar, just from the amount they had paid in lost deposits, they would have been able to fund _two_ of the ostentatious weddings they wanted. 

Groaning aloud, I tossed the folder aside and perched on the edge of my desk. Rubbing a hand over my eyes, I thanked sticking charms because the last thing I needed was to smudge my eyeliner. Eliza, always my saviour, chose that exact moment to walk through the door and handed my mug towards me. Taking a long sip, I swallowed before letting out a deep sigh. Salazar, it was couples like this that made me regret going into this business. But, couples like this only came around once for every hundred weddings I organised. 

“Do we have any cupcakes left?” I asked, setting my mug down on top of my coaster. 

“Oh,” Eliza said, setting the magazine she had been reading down on my desk. “Let me just go check.”

“Thanks,” I called out after her, looking curiously at the front cover of the magazine she had been reading. Only instantly, I wished I hadn’t.

The front cover picture featured James _yet again,_ during one of his infamous ‘breakups’. Not a week went by where news about James and his messy love affairs didn’t grace the covers of magazines and newspapers alike. This time, the picture continued as the woman he had been ‘dating’, rose to her feet to tower over James before pouring her iced coffee on his head. Glancing away with a sigh, I bit my bottom lip as I grew unable to stop the stray thought; was he like that because of me? Because of the way I had broken up with him? Maybe I could have let him down in a gentler way? Maybe I shouldn’t have waited until our graduation? But at that time, I hadn’t seen any other option.

_The parents of the leaving seventh years had all congregated in the Great Hall as we all finally, **finally** graduated. Merlin, I had been standing with my family across the corridor when James walked across the room to greet my family. My family, unsure of who he was, greeted him as if he was another of my friends and I hurriedly steered James away before he could introduce himself as my boyfriend. I wasn’t ashamed of James, not at all. But I didn’t want to subject him to the mental calculations my family were likely to do. Because that’s what relationships were in my family; business transactions where the gain needed to be **at least** as good as the cost. I’d been content to live like that until a certain Gryffindor chaser had stormed into my life and taught me otherwise._

_James led me by the hand towards his family – who turned out in large numbers – and greeted me back with warm smiles. The arm James had around my shoulder squeezed me gently whenever his family spoke with obvious pride about me. Because, for the Potter-Weasley family, I was already part of the family and Salazar, that was more than enough to freak me out. Never mind that James was already planning our future. Was it any wonder that I wanted to run?_

_We managed to duck away from his family, heading into one of the abandoned corridors. Leaving the great hall had been James’s idea and, when he reached into his pocket, I almost shouted at him to stop because I **swore** that if he pulled a bloody **ring** out, then I was going to have a panic attack. Merlin, just the idea of it made my palms sweat. _

_“James,” I started cautiously, only to breath an audible sigh of relief when it was just a letter._

_He looked at me with a mischievous smile, teasing, “Did you think it was a ring or something?”_

_“Not my fault that everyone was gossiping about it,” I muttered with a thankful breath._

_“Maybe next year,” James grinned, reaching out to finger one of the curls that draped past my shoulder, completely missing the way I froze at the jest. Salazar’s soul, **no**_ – 

_And that was the truth of our relationship. He was always looking to the future and me, I was always running away from it. We didn’t fit together. Our relationship while it made me **so very happy,** just didn’t work. Salazar, no matter how I tried – we couldn’t – _

_How could we –_

_How had I even **thought** that I could become that girl? Merlin, how did I – _

_“What is that?” I asked instead, trying to put this off for as long as I could._

_“Remember the tryouts?” he questioned hesitantly, breaking the seal on the back of the letter. “This is the results. The letter came today but I was too scared to open it before. But I think I’m ready now.”_

_I drew my hands together, as if I was praying, and watched his face for any signs of what had happened. James read over the letter once, twice and when I saw his shoulders slump a little, I tried to think of something to say. But then he was looking up with a grin._

_“I made it,” he said incredulously, beaming and striding towards me to take me in a massive hug where he lifted me off the ground. He pressed a kiss to my shoulder, keeping me close, “Godric, I made it.”_

_“I knew you would,” I said truthfully, holding him close to me. I was reluctant to let him go, to let this go –_

_“Hey, hey,” James said quietly, instantly realising that something was wrong. Drawing away from me, he kept his arms around me, meeting my eyes as he asked gently, “What is it? What’s wrong?”_

_I stared up at him for a long moment, trying to gain some courage but I **couldn’t.** “I can’t do this,” I said, removing his arms from around me and going to step away from him. “I can’t do this right now.”_

_“Do what?” he protested, catching me quickly before I could move far. Turning me round to face him, he framed my face in his hands, tilting it up towards his and Salazar, I chose to close my eyes over looking into those beautiful eyes. I couldn’t bring myself to see the pain that my next words would inevitably cause him. “You can tell me **anything,** you know that.”_

_“We need to stop James.” The words came out as a quiet whisper, but he heard them all the same._

_The silence that followed stretched on. Until –_

_“Look at me,” he ordered, and Merlin, just hearing the sadness in his voice was already tearing into me. “Open your eyes right now and look at me.”_

_“ **James –”**_

_“If you’re going to do this to me, then you’d better open your eyes and look at me as you do it.” It took a moment longer before I opened my eyes and peered directly into his. “Now, what the hell are you talking about?”_

_“You **know** what I’m talking about,” I protested, swallowing thickly as I spoke quietly. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”_

_“No! I damn well am going to make this hard – as hard as I possibly can.”_

_“James **please**.” He remained firm. With a shuddering sigh, I pushed his hands away from my face and took a step back. “Please, please don’t make me say it.”_

_“Fine.” He took in a deep breath, his chest rising and falling unevenly as he tried his very best not to reach out for me. “I need a reason why. And don’t try and skip that out.”_

_“Because –” **because I’m falling in love with you and that scares me shitless –**_

**__** _“Because?” he prompted, stepping towards me again. “See – you can’t think of anything. So, let's forget this and head back to the hall?”_

_“I’m sorry,” I said again, turning to walk away from him._

_That wasn’t good enough for him. James cut around me quickly and before he could say anything before he could try to convince me again, I closed the distance between us this time. Wrapping my arms around him, I rose to my toes and kissed him, drawing it out because I knew this was going to be the last time. He knew it too; he knew that no matter how many good arguments he presented, I’d made my mind up already. The hands at my waist tightened, keeping me against him before I reluctantly to pulled back._

_James didn’t let me go far; keeping his forehead pressed against mine. Licking my bottom lip, I muttered through quivering lips, “Salazar, I’m sorry James.”_

_I didn’t need to tell him again. James released me on his own this time, staring at me as if his gaze alone could convince me otherwise. And maybe it could because I certainly avoided meeting his eyes as I turned and left him standing alone._

“Did you hear me?” Eliza questioned, making me blink out of my daze. 

“Sorry, what was that?” I cleared my throat. 

“You’ve said before that he wasn’t like this when you were at school, right?” At my nod, Eliza stared contemplatively at the picture. “I wonder what happened.”

Me. I happened. 

“Who knows,” I murmured, sending one more stray glance towards the magazine cover. Rising to my feet, I clapped my hand to get Eliza’s attention. “Now, when is the next couple coming in to see me then?”

* * *

The day of the Lupin-Wiley wedding finally arrived, and I was at the helm of the ship. Turning up at the venue hours before the function was scheduled to begin, I looked over the final preparations for the ceremony. I was going to damned if I let anything happen. 

Salazar, the groom had even stopped by yesterday to tell me that the couple had split up for a year or so during their _long_ period of dating and Wiley had seen someone else for a few months – and that someone had been invited to the wedding. I had permission from the groom that let me hex that person if they tried to cause even the _slightest_ of trouble for the happy couple. Merlin, he didn’t need to tell me that – I was always ready to take out someone who tried to ruin one of my weddings. Just let them try me and they’d be reminded why I’d gotten the highest marks of my year in Defence. 

“Wait, wait,” I called out, rushing towards one of the waiting staff who was helping set up. Snagging the centrepiece from their hand, I said exasperated, “This is the centrepiece for the head table. Can you not tell – it’s different from the rest!”

The teen rolled his eyes and I narrowed my eyes at his back before turning to place the centrepiece myself. Standing by the top table, I scanned the room only to let out an annoyed hiss.

“ _Hey_! You there – the one setting the plates – do you not see that the plates on that one table don’t match the rest!” The poor helper stilled as if only realising that they didn’t match, and I tried not to question their intelligence.

Rubbing at my temples, I failed not to jump when someone piped up from beside me, “You look stressed.”

Putting a hand on my racing heart, I turned towards James and started to freak out. “What are you doing here? The guests aren’t supposed to be arriving yet! Let alone in this room – the ceremony is taking place next door so what –”

“I came to help,” he explained, cutting me off. He shrugged, outstretching his arms as he said, “Order away.”

I watched him suspiciously for a moment before sighing. “What the hell, we’re short-staffed anyway. You were there when they sorted out the seating plan, right?”

“I think I have the bloody thing memorised,” he admitted with a grimace. 

“Wonderful.” With a relieved smile, I handed him a pile of name place cards. “Set these out for me – I’ll do the rest.” 

He looked doubtfully down at the cards. “These –”

“You volunteered to help,” I reminded him, already walking towards the nearest table. “Now get a move on Potter, we have other things to see too.”

I had to admit that I expected for him to be lying through his teeth about remembering where everyone was seated. Even _I_ consulted the mini seating plan I’d attached to the clipboard I was holding in my arms. But he only asked me two – or was it three – times about where people were sat. With two people working to set the name cards out, we were done much quicker than I had thought we’d be. 

By the time James returned to my side, I shuffled a little on my feet, unsure of what to do now. Listening out for the sound of the approaching guests, I looked over James. Well, he was already dressed so it wasn’t like I could use that as an excuse. 

“You should probably see to your date,” I suggested as I turned to leave, “I can’t imagine they’ll be happy to be left alone for so long.”

“I didn’t bring a date,” he called out after me. And because he clearly wanted to say something else, I turned curiously towards him. “Bringing a date to a family event – introducing them to my family in general, that’s too serious. I’m only out to have some fun.”

My eyes widened at those words and before I could stop it, I step away from him as he’d actually hit me. “James –”

“What?” He furrowed his eyebrows, tucking his hands into his pockets.

“What happened to you?” I asked quietly, watching as he straightened out, my words beginning to affect him. “Did you – did you become like this because of me? Because you loved me?”

He held my eyes for a long silent moment. For such a long moment that I almost thought that he wasn’t going to answer me. But he did. He spoke quietly, “They say that you become more and more like the people you love.”

Love, my mind focused on the word. Present tense. 

“If you were going to become like me,” I struggled to understand. “If that’s what this is – then why did you get the worst parts? The parts even I can’t stand about myself?”

“Maybe those were the only bits I could remember,” he said quietly, and those words struck far deeper than anything he could have said to me. “Or wanted to remember.”

“We don’t have time for this.” I shook my head, turning to walk away from him. “I need to go and check up on the bride. Go and see to Teddy. Make sure he’s not getting any cold feet.”

With that parting order, I hurried away from James. I spent the rest of the beautiful wedding focusing on my job and making sure it went off without a hitch. If I happened to avoid going anywhere near the best man, then could anyone blame me?

* * *

“Eliza,” I called out from my office, shrugging into my coat as I went off in search of my assistant who seemed to have disappeared into thin air about 10 minutes ago. “Are you ready to head out for lunch yet?”

“I was just picking up the mail,” she explained, walking in through the front door with a pile of letters in her arms. Setting them down on top of her desk, she looked contemplatively down at the envelopes. “Should we put off going to lunch for a while or come back and open them?”

“I don’t know about you,” I said, rifling through the stack, “but I’m starving. Unless you want to order in and spend our lunch hour looking through the letters?” She made a face at that and I laughed, patting her reassuringly on the shoulder. “We’ve had 4 weddings in 4 days – I think we deserve _one_ lunch hour where we don’t do any work. Don’t you?”

“You’re the best boss,” she said with a grin.

“And don’t you forget it.” Linking my arm through hers, I gestured towards the door. “Now can we _please_ go for lunch. I don’t care where we go, so long as the food is good.”

“I know the perfect place,” she assured me as we headed towards the front door. 

But clearly, wanting one lunch hour was just too much to ask. The sound of the door opening had us both stopping in our steps. 

“Lucky for us, they do take out,” Eliza assured me, even though it was clearly the last thing she wanted. “I’ll pop out and bring some back.”

“Please,” I said with a sigh, already shrugging out of my coat and heading out to greet the clients. 

Clients who were very welcome faces. Stepping into my waiting room, I found the now Mr and Mrs Lupin, newly returned from their honeymoon. The new Mrs Lupin beamed at the sight of me and hurried to embrace me. “Thank you _so_ much!”

“No need to thank me,” I assured her, just as the door opened again and James fucking Potter walked inside. Drawing away from the older woman, I looked her over from head to toe. “Salazar, your tan is gorgeous. How was the honeymoon?”

“Wonderful,” she said with a fond smile aimed at her husband who seemed unable to keep his eyes from her, even when his godbrother came to stand beside him. “We wanted to see you and thank you, but I guess we picked the wrong time? Are you headed out for lunch? We can come back later?”

“There’s no need,” Eliza assured them as she headed towards the door, “I’ll bring back enough for all four – five, all five of us.”

“Thank you,” I called out to her and she waved the words away. 

Turning my attention back to the guests, I gestured for them to sit. “I’ve got something I need to check up on quickly. Give me a moment and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Take your time,” Teddy called out behind me, eyeing his godbrother who hurried to follow after me.

Reaching my office, I did nothing more than turn to look expectantly at the man that stood stoically in the doorway. He narrowed his eyes at me and I wondered just what I had done wrong now. Stepping into the office, James shut the door behind him and leaned against it as if to say that if I wanted to leave then I would need to physically break past him.

“I see you’re still as dramatic as ever,” I murmured in irritation. 

“How did you get into this business?” he demanded suddenly, and I crossed my arms defensively. “You – the girl who never hesitated to tell me that she didn’t believe in love. Just- just _how_?”

“The truth?” I asked quietly, glancing away from him.

“The truth.” He nodded firmly.

“ _You_ made me believe in love.”

“As if,” he scoffed. “If that were true, you wouldn’t have ended things the way you did.”

“I was too young back then,” I admitted; if I was telling him the truth, then I might as well have told him the whole truth. Salazar, who knew that telling the truth would feel like a giant weight had been lifted from my chest? “I was too young and too scared of the way you made me feel. And – and the way you talked _so easily_ about things that I was too scared to hope for, to want.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked weakly, and from the way his defensive posture dropped alone, I knew that he’d never expected that to be my answer. 

“You always used to talk about that house in the countryside – the one with a garden big enough for a quidditch pitch in the garden where the kids could play. Salazar, the kids – a boy who looked like you and a girl who looked like me and then another – girl or boy, whatever they were we’d love them all the same.” I sighed heavily, “Those were the words you always used to say. Merlin, you had it all planned out in your head and those were things I could never even think of. You – you weren’t even thinking of your own future – you always talked like it was _our_ future, like I was right there in the middle of it, standing beside you.”

“So, what?” he demanded, narrowing his eyes at me. “What was so bad about that?”

“The things that were so easy for you to think of – they, they terrified me, James. They were things I’d never even contemplated. I freaked out. That’s what happened. I freaked out because all the things you were talking about – those things? I could see them too.”

His eyes grew heavy, boring into me as I lowered my own to stare at the carpet beneath my shoes. Only when the door opened and shut behind him, did I raise my eyes. Tipping my head back with a long exhale, I screwed my eyes shut for a moment. There. I’d said it all. There was nothing to hide now. 

“Are you alright?” Eliza asked suddenly, popping into my office and gesturing outside. “I’ve got the food but Potter kind of walked out. I don’t think he’s eating with us.” I nodded, not quite listening to her. She walked up to me, putting a hand on my arm and startling me out of my thoughts. “Is everything ok?”

“No,” I said truthfully before shaking my head. “Remember that blind date you wanted me to go on?”

“The one I’ve been trying to convince you to go on for _months_?” She raised an eyebrow. “What about it?”

“I can make some time for it next weekend.” 

She watched me, sceptically. “Really?”

“It’s like you always say; what kind of wedding planner is single?”

* * *

By the time the actual date came around, I wanted to backtrack and say that going on this date was the last thing I wanted to do. Because it _really_ was the last thing I wanted to do. 

Eliza always hit the nail on the head; claiming that I wasn’t over an ex. But, it wasn’t _quite_ like that. It was just that I’d only ever loved one man. And that one man had turned into the manwhore of the century. According to rumours, he was straying more and more away from his grandfather, and more towards behaving like his middle name. It wasn’t exactly my fault that I hadn’t found another man to love since. It just wasn’t that simple, not for someone who hadn’t believed in love up until a while ago. 

Before I’d come out on this date, Eliza had pulled me aside once more to tell me about the person I was supposed to be meeting up with today. She was certain that I’d fall head over heels for this man – apparently the way he had for me. According to Eliza, my date had been a guest at one of the weddings I’d arranged at the beginning of the year and he’d fallen for me at first sight. I struggled not to snort and inform her that there was no such thing as love at first sight; there was attraction, _lust,_ not love. Salazar, did I really want to get involved with Quidditch players? Especially when I’d seen some of the backlash that people who dated quidditch players tended to get?

Although, I could only date someone if they actually _turned up._ I had no idea quite how long I’d been sitting in the restaurant waiting for my date to turn up, but as I eyed my watch I decided that he was _far_ too late. If he wanted to make an impression, then he’d certainly achieved that. Although I was certain it wasn’t the impression he wanted to make. 

Someone settled down across from me and it was enough to have me looking up in surprise. Only it wasn’t the person I expected. James settled himself into the seat across from me as if he _wasn’t_ crashing my date. 

I raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation which he seemed adamant about not giving. “You’re not the one that’s supposed to be here.”

“I know.” He took a sip from the glance of water before straightening up in his seat. Pressing his forearms against the table, he leaned towards me and demanded, “How could you go on a date with someone from my team? Did you really think that I wouldn’t find out about this? And that I’d just let it happen? Really?”

I sighed, rubbing at my temples. Merlin, I wasn’t even surprised that he’d managed to make it about himself. “I didn’t exactly know that he was on your team, James.”

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Of course not.”

“I’m being honest.” Leaning back in my chair, I narrowed my eyes at him. “It might surprise you, but I don’t exactly keep up with the Quidditch. I don’t even know what team _you’re_ on, so why should I know what team someone else is on?”

“You really had no idea?”

I sighed, crossing my arms as I demanded, “Just where is my date? No, wait – what did you do to him?”

“I locked him in the changing room,” he admitted as if it was a normal answer to what I had asked him.

“You did _what?_ Why would you do that? _”_ I hissed, leaning towards him. “James Sirius Potter, you –”

“I did it, so he wouldn’t be able to come here – obviously.” Sighing in annoyance, I rolled my eyes as he continued to explain. “The door will automatically unlock itself in an hour or so.”

“James!” I sighed, lowering my voice when the people seated at the tables around us, turned to glance our way. Merlin, I did _not_ want to draw attention to myself. I watched as James picked up the menu, seeing nothing wrong with what he’d done. “What do you think you’re doing, Potter?”

“Deciding what to order, clearly.” He eyed me from over the top of his menu. “I hear the steak here is good.”

“If you’re going to continue to be like this –”

“What? What are you going to do?”

Clenching my jaw, I grabbed my purse and rose to my feet. Merlin, the arrogant bastard needed to be stood up for once in his life to learn that he couldn’t always get what he wanted. 

“Sit down,” James called out as I went to leave, and I scoffed, throwing him a glare over my shoulder. He let out a very audible sigh before pushing his chair away from the table and taking a hold of my hand. I stared down at his hand on mine and tried to pull away. “ _Please_.”

The word had me stilling completely. “What?”

“Sit down – please.” 

“I don’t fancy being spotted by reporters whilst here with you James,” I said bluntly, watching as he let go of my hand. “I’m not going to be James Potter’s latest toy.”

“I’d never think of you like that,” he assured steadily, gesturing for me to sit down again. 

I held his eyes for a long moment before sighing and sitting down again. “What am I even doing?”

“Besides, wasn’t _I_ the one being toyed around with?” He continued to flick through his menu before reluctantly admitting, “That’s what I thought anyway.”

“James – what are we doing here?”

“Truthfully?” He sighed, meeting my eyes for a moment. “I have no idea. All I knew was that I couldn’t let you go on this date. Not with someone else.”

* * *

I’d actually briefly entertained the idea that nothing would come of my impromptu meal with James, so it had thrown me to find my picture on the front page of _multiple_ newspapers the next morning. Salazar, some of the magazines managed to snap a picture of James stopping me from leaving and were spinning some story about me trying to tame the Playboy Potter. Some used pictures of when we’d actually managed to laugh during the meal and wondered whether I was his new girlfriend. Merlin, the worst were the ones that used pictures of James walking me out – with a hand on the small of my back which I’d 100% shrugged out of but _coincidentally_ the picture cut off before there. Those ones apparently wondered that it took a woman who abided by commitment – a _wedding planner_ – to make James serious. God, if only they knew. 

The door to my office was abruptly pushed open and I folded the newspaper, setting it aside to talk to whoever was on the other side. I made a face at the man on the other side and gestured to the paper I tossed aside. 

“Have you seen the news?” I asked, crossing my arms. “I _told_ you this would happen.”

“They’re not wrong,” he said with a shrug that had me narrowing my eyes at him. “You are busy taming the Playboy Potter.”

“Merlin’s beard. We are _not_ talking about this right now.” I muttered under my breath. “Look, why do you keep coming in here? Your godbrother’s wedding is over and there’s no follow up or anything. So _why_?”

James walked towards my desk, knocking his fist on top of the newspaper. “Let’s go again, Moran.”

“ _Excuse me?_ ” I questioned, wondering if I heard him wrong. But he remained firm and my mouth parted in surprise. “You’re being serious?”

“You heard me.”

Scoffing, I narrowed my eyes at him. “I don’t think so. The James Potter I fell in love with was a hopeless romantic, the sort of person that could make me – someone that didn’t believe in love – fall in love. But I don’t see that sort of person here anymore.”

“I _am_ that person,” he insisted, straightening up.

“You’re _really_ not that person James,” I said resolutely, shaking my head. 

“Of course, I am.” He struggled to find the words, fidgeting with his hands. “I _am_ that person. I’ve just changed and it’s _natural_ to change. It’s like we’ve switched who we were. You said it yourself, I made you believe in love –”

“And I made you scared?” I finished for him, speaking quietly. “Is that what happened?”

He shook his head adamantly. “No – that’s not it. _I_ made me scared.”

“My next client is coming soon.” Trying to usher him out, I rose to my feet, but he remained firm.

“Have you forgotten how persistent I can be?” His question threw me, and I bit my bottom lip cautiously.

“James, _come on_ –”

“Do I need to remind you by chasing after you again?” He raised an eyebrow, but I saw a flicker of a smile playing at the corner of his lips. “I’ve done it once before. I can do it again.”

“Neither of us have the time for that,” I reminded steadily, refusing to be swayed by that smile. “I’ve got a ridiculous number of weddings to plan and I don’t need you to run around throwing things out of whack. Especially when there are reporters that follow you everywhere you go. And you’ve got Quidditch matches to practice for, matches you should be focusing on instead of me.”

“Forget all that and answer me one question. Answer it and I’ll leave.”

“You promise?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “That sounds nothing like you, James.”

“But you’ll answer the question anyway.”

I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Of course, I will. Now get a move on.”

“Can you honestly say that you don’t love me anymore?” Merlin, I hadn’t expected that question. His question had thrown me, and he knew it. He was all too pleased about it too. “Well?”

“No,” I said, the word nothing more than a whisper.

“Neither can I.” 

And just like that, he was grinning. It wasn’t the smirk that I’d seen plastered across the papers, it was the one he’d thrown my way every single day when we’d been at Hogwarts. Salazar, it was the smile I had fallen for from the very beginning and just seeing that smile, had me falling all over again. It was that single smile that made me realise just how much I’d missed James – _this_ James, _my_ James.

“So, I’ll pick you up then?” he asked before I could protest – not that I wanted to either. “After work tonight and we can go on a real date?”

“If you step one foot out of line Potter,” I warned, and James realised what I meant. His grin only grew even more, and I struggled not to smile. “I mean it; one mistake and your arse will be dumped all over again.”


	2. Epilogue: 4 Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I just don’t understand why you can’t come with me to the World Cup,” he complained suddenly, and I struggled not to roll my eyes. _Not this again_. “Lots of significant others come along.”
> 
> “It’s also peak wedding season,” I reminded him, squeezing his arm gently. “Remember? I’m rushed off my feet at the moment?”

_4 YEARS LATER_

Planning the wedding of someone that was actually in my acquaintance – someone that was practically _family_ – always meant that I was more involved, more excited to plan the wedding. Of course, I always wanted the best for all of my clients but when it came to my family and my friends I became ready to cause someone real pain if they got in the way of their happily ever after. But, it also meant that I found it that much harder to reel the bride and groom back in when it came to some of their more unrealistic demands.

That would never be the case for the bride sitting in front of me. Molly Weasley took after her grandmother so much so that the bride-to-be walked into my office with a folder of her own full of the ideas that she wanted to work through. Salazar, I loved working with organised brides; it made things so much easier and straightforward. Currently, we were aiming at creating a shortlist of venues that she wanted to book viewings for at a later date. 

We were making good progress until there was the sound of apparition. 

“James Potter,” I called out loudly, surprising Molly who looked up sharply. With a sigh, I pointed to my entryway where sure enough, he was standing. “He’s the only person that apparates in and out of here. No matter how many times I tell him not to.”

“It’s quicker than having to walk in through the front door,” he defended, walking towards me and greeting his cousin with a smile. 

“Would you please stop dropping by whenever I have clients to see to?” I asked with a sigh, seeing no need to rise to my feet to greet him. “It’s really annoying and highly unprofessional.”

“It’s only Molly,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “You don’t mind, do you Mols?”

“Not at all,” the older witch said, shooting a knowing glance in my direction.

“ _See_.”

“Well, I mind.” I shot back, crossing my arms. 

“Why?” James grinned, arching an eyebrow in the way he knew annoyed me. “Am I really that distracting for you, love?”

“Yes,” I scoffed. “It’s because you’re so annoying. Why are you even here?”

“We have a lunch date. Remember? I thought I’d drop by early to come and see you.”

“Well go and sit in the waiting room,” I ordered, pointing down the hall. 

“Fine.” He rolled his eyes, moving to do just that before he backtracked to walk towards his cousin. Squeezing Molly’s shoulder, he grinned at her when she looked curiously towards him, “Make sure you get the family discount Molly – the ring on her finger means you can ask for it.”

“Oh please,” I muttered under my breath, “you’re saying that like she doesn’t know we’re engaged. You bloody well announced it to your _whole_ family – even before asking me.”

“What was that, love?”

“I said that I’ve already given the discount, now go away.”

James grumbled under his breath before turning and heading towards the waiting room. Once he was out of the room, I closed the door with a wave of my wand. Just in case. 

Looking back to the witch across from me, I said a sincere, “Sorry about him.”

“Shouldn’t I be apologising to you?” she asked with a smile, “He’s your fiancé, but he’s my cousin.”

“Let’s just agree that he’s a nuisance for the pair of us,” I suggested, and we shared a laugh. “Now, let’s finish this list before he decides to come back.”

“Good idea.”

Molly was such an organised bride that it took less than 10 minutes for her to finish compiling her shortlist. When she was satisfied, she handed the list off to me and I promised to contact her at a later date for the scheduled viewings. Eliza escorted Molly out and I headed back to my office to get my coat and purse because I knew James was likely to appear at any moment. And sure enough, as soon as I stepped out of the office, he was there and offered me his arm. 

“I’m assuming there’s a reason you came to see me early?” I asked, taking his arm and letting him lead me out into the street after sending a ‘see you later’ to Eliza who waved from her desk. 

“Can’t I just come to see you?” he asked sweetly, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

Camera flashes went off around us and I didn’t even bat an eyelid. Over the long course of our relationship, I’d had to get used to the reporters following us everywhere. At first, there had been polls in the newspapers about just how long our relationship would last and once it seemed like we weren’t ever going to crumble, the articles appeared wondering how I had managed to ‘tame’ him. And Salazar, when the engagement ring made its debut on my finger, people were dying to see some sneak peek at our wedding plans. Unfortunately for them, we had agreed – or rather, I’d convinced James – into having a _long_ engagement. 

One positive in all this was that business was booming. The pictures that always appeared of James picking me up from lunch gave the sort of publicity that I just couldn’t have paid for. Business was doing so well that we’d actually expanded and the number of staff I had increased. Eliza was pleased that hiring new staff made her more senior to them and she finally had people to boss around by sending them on the errands she didn’t want to run.

“But honestly James,” I said with a raised eyebrow. “What is it?”

“I just don’t understand why you can’t come with me to the World Cup,” he complained suddenly, and I struggled not to roll my eyes. _Not this again_. “Lots of significant others come along.”

“It’s also peak wedding season,” I reminded him, squeezing his arm gently. “Remember? I’m rushed off my feet at the moment?”

James sighed, beginning to pout. I stopped in my steps, making him look curiously towards me. Tugging on his jacket, I waited for him to lower his head before pecking him quickly on the lips. And just like that, he was grinning widely. He leaned forward to kiss me again. 

“I promise to come to one game,” I suggested as we started to walk again. “Is that alright?”

“But having you there makes me want to win.”

“Shouldn’t you want to win anyway?” I questioned dryly. “Considering you play the sport professionally and all?”

He rolled his eyes, muttering petulantly, “You don’t understand.”

“Ok, here’s a deal Potter – I’m only going to offer it only once.”

“What is it?”

“You win the cup and I’ll move the wedding forward to the summer after next.”

“England’s _never_ won the World Cup,” he shot back. “Not good enough.”

“Next summer.” He didn’t seem to believe my words, but I nodded decisively, “Next summer, no earlier, no later. Going once, going twice, going –”

“Ok, ok,” he said hurriedly, peering down at me sceptically. “We just have to win the World Cup and you become Mrs Potter 3 years earlier than originally planned? Deal.”

“You’re saying that like winning the World Cup will be easy,” I teased as we turned into the restaurant we frequented whenever James took me out for lunch. The waitstaff, already used to of the sight of us, just gestured us in. 

“Well I’m determined now,” he assured me, as we approached our usual table. He pulled my chair out for me as he smirked, “It’s practically a shoo-in.”

(Against all odds; that was the first year England won the Quidditch World Cup.)


End file.
